Chapter 40 Ukiyoe

"Auntie," Gu Qiuhan spoke, her voice not loud, but as if wrapped in ice chips, each word was clear and distinct, "I, Gu Qiuhan, have no need to worry about your marriage.

I only have one thing to say: My sister, Gu Qiuyue, is a precious treasure that my Gu family raised with care. Anyone who makes her suffer the slightest injustice or shed a tear is doing harm to me, Gu Qiuhan, and my Gu family!

He leaned forward slightly and moved closer. The iron-blooded murderous aura from the battlefield that had not yet dissipated made Aunt Wang subconsciously take half a step back. The smile on her face completely froze and became extremely ugly.

"As for the political commissar's niece you mentioned," Gu Qiuhan said with a faint, cold smile, revealing undisguised contempt. "Oh, our Gu family is not well-off, so I'm afraid you can't afford her. Please go back."

After saying this, he no longer looked at Aunt Wang's face, which was turning red and white. He turned around, and his military boots stepped on the muddy ground, making a steady and powerful echo. He walked straight towards the division headquarters guesthouse, his back determined, without stopping at all.

Aunt Wang froze in place, as if she had been slapped hard. Her face was burning, and the vague glances from people around her made her wish she could find a hole to crawl into.

Two days passed in a subtle and tense atmosphere, and the day had come for Gu Qiuhan to return to the team.

Early in the morning, at the gate of the family compound, the jeep had already started, and the engine made a low roar.

Gu Qiuhan hugged his sister tightly, his arms strong and powerful, with the silent protection of a brother. He turned to Xie Shiyu, and the two men's eyes met in the air. There was no need for words, the trust and entrustment of the emperor were all there.

Gu Qiuhan patted Xie Shiyu's shoulder heavily, and everything was said without words. He opened the car door swiftly, climbed in with his tall frame, and waved to his sister and brother-in-law through the window one last time.

The jeep kicked up a cloud of dust and drove away from the family compound, taking away the heavy burden of protection that belonged to his brother.

Gu Qiuyue stood at the gate of the courtyard, looking at the direction where the car disappeared. The faint sadness in her heart caused by her brother's departure had not yet dissipated when a familiar and cheerful voice came from outside the gate.

"Qiuyue! Is Qiuyue at home?"

It's Sister Li! Before she even arrived, her energetic voice had already reached her.

Gu Qiuyue quickly turned around and went out to greet her: "Sister Li, come in quickly!"

Sister Li rushed into the courtyard, holding a thin envelope in her hand. A mysterious yet excited smile adorned her face, her eyes sparkling. She walked over to Gu Qiuyue and thrust the envelope into her hands. She lowered her voice, unable to conceal her excitement, "Qiuyue, look! It's a letter from your parents! It's expedited! Such great news!"

Gu Qiuyue's heart skipped a beat, and her fingers almost trembled as they touched the rough edge of the envelope. She eagerly pulled out the letter inside, and the familiar handwriting that was so strong that it could be seen through the back of the paper instantly came into her sight. It was her father's handwriting!

The letter is short, but every word is weighty:

"My son Yueyue: I'm glad to see you. The documents of rehabilitation have been officially issued, and you will be able to return to Beijing and resume your duties soon. Your injustice has been redressed, and your family will be reunited soon. Don't worry. Father's name."

Further down, there was a line of beautiful handwriting: "Yueyue, take care of yourself and wait for mom and dad to come home. I miss you, Mom."

The huge ecstasy of regaining what she had lost was like a surging wave that instantly overwhelmed her. It was more real and concrete than the news her brother brought her. She suddenly covered her mouth, and hot tears burst out without warning, silently sliding through her fingers. Her body trembled slightly with extreme excitement.

"Qiuyue? Qiuyue, what's wrong with you? Don't scare me!" Sister Li was startled and quickly supported her.

Gu Qiuyue shook her head, then nodded vigorously, choking and speaking incoherently: "No... I'm fine... Sister Li... it's the letter... Mom and Dad... My parents have been rehabilitated! They have been reinstated!" She finally shouted out, her voice was tearful, but full of light that could break through all the haze.

"Really?!" Sister Li's eyes widened in surprise, and then she slapped her thigh suddenly, her voice suddenly rising. Her resonant voice was like a loudspeaker that instantly penetrated the small courtyard and spread to all the neighbors, "Oh my... This is such great joy, Qiuyue's parents have been rehabilitated, and they are returning to Beijing to resume their jobs!

I was saying, the two elders of the Gu family are both university professors, they are well-educated and cultured people. They must have been wronged and demoted. Look, look! Isn't this justice? The injustice has been redressed. Congratulations, sister, this is a great and happy event! "

This earth-shattering news, like a thunderclap out of nowhere, exploded in the family compound in an instant!

Those faces that had been whispering and pointing by the well and in the corner were now suddenly changed in direction as if by an invisible hand. Shock, disbelief, and then the rapidly climbing embarrassment and regret, finally all turned into a rush of enthusiasm and compliments.

"Oh! Sister Qiuyue! Congratulations!"

"I've always said that the girl from the Gu family is blessed. Both her parents are great intellectuals!"

"Deputy Captain Xie is so lucky! The Yue family is a well-known scholarly family in the capital!"

The wind direction changed so quickly and so completely, and at this moment, everyone's focus was, intentionally or unintentionally, on the tightly closed gate of the Zhou family's courtyard with a tacit attitude of watching the show.

Someone sneered first. The sound wasn't loud, but it floated clearly in the air. "Tsk, some people just can't stand seeing others do well. They have no ability themselves, so they just hide in the gutter and do bad things. Now, they've shot themselves in the foot, haven't they?"

"That's right," someone chimed in immediately, their voice filled with undisguised sarcasm. "I heard that guy... was transferred? And it was for spreading rumors and causing trouble? Tsk tsk, the art troupe was such a great place, but he ruined himself. Now, everything's gone, and he's embarrassed himself!"

"You deserve it! You're so jealous, you've got a black heart. Sister Qiuyue's parents have been rehabilitated and reinstated, and they have a bright future. But what about her? Humph, from now on, I'm afraid she won't even be able to enter our compound."

The sound of pointing and talking, like invisible needles, densely pierced the Zhou family's courtyard. Behind the tightly closed door, there was a faint suppressed sound of porcelain breaking, and Zhou's mother's angry, sharp and vague curses.

Gu Qiuyue stood at the gate of her own yard, tightly clutching the letter that carried the news of her parents' safety and return. Hot tears still hung on her cheeks. In her ears were the neighbors' congratulations that came like a tide, which were difficult to distinguish between true and false, as well as the sarcasm and ridicule that were mercilessly thrown at the Zhou family.

She raised her head, looking past the crowd of people towards the residential building where the Zhou family lived. A very faint and cold understanding quietly passed through the depths of her clear eyes.

The fickleness of human hearts and the warmth and coldness of the world, in just two days, a naked Ukiyo-e was staged in this small family compound.